Biodex Best Paper Award Third International Workshop on Virtual Rehabilitation MEDIATE: An interactive multisensory environment for children with severe autism and no verbal communication. Narcís Parés, Anna Carreras, Jaume Durany, Jaume Ferrer, Pere Freixa, David Gómez, Orit Kruglanski, Roc Parés, J. Ignasi Ribas, Miquel Soler, Àlex Sanjurjo Experimentation on Interactive Communication group http://www.iua.upf.es/eic Audiovisual Institute, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain) Abstract The design of an interactive system for children with severe autism and no verbal communication is one of the most challenging areas a designer of interactive systems can approach; mainly because of the exceptional type of user involved. In fact, this user cannot be typified because autism is not a unique disability but rather a spectrum of disabilities. Moreover, non invasive systems must be designed, new approaches for real time generated stimuli must be analysed and developed, and new developing strategies must be imagined for such interactive systems.